A Dark Alley
by Rampant Repose
Summary: Darius wasn't the hero Poppy was looking for but he was the hero she found.


The alleyway had been dark and Poppy was lost as she often was in big human cities, dark brick and stone walls reaching up far above her head. The sky was darkening with rainclouds and a cold wind swept around corners and ruffled her hair as she wandered. She'd come to Noxus while following someone. Before she knew it she'd crossed over the border and decided on a whim, as all yordles are prone to, to stay for a bit and have a look around. Do some sightseeing. The sights had been dark, wet, and shady for the most part.

And this alleyway was no different. Decaying crates lined the walls on either side, pale red light reflected off the wet ground. Something rustled through a trashbin and hissed as she passed by. It was certainly something but she was definitely looking forward to getting back to Demacia.

"Don't get much yordles round here," a gruff voice said from behind her. She'd heard the footsteps but she'd chosen to ignore them, assuming it was just someone going from one building to another. Not her business, they had no reason to bother her. Apparently she was wrong.

She turned to face a group of humans, a large man in torn clothing and a leather vest at the head of them. He rubbed his large, stubbled jaw has he sized her up and took a step forward. He reached down and placed a meaty hand on her hammer as he looked it over.

"Yeah, think I'll be takin' this," he said, gripping it, "Don't see how a little lady like you could use it anyhow."

She narrowed her eyes and tried to take a step back and escape his grasp, "Sorry, this hammer's for a champion. I couldn't just let anyone have it."

The man let go and laughed, reaching for something at his belt, "You hear that boys? It's for a hero."

Laugher from the group behind their leader, loud and unruly. The man drew a hatchet, black and chipped, and raised it in front of the small yordle, "If anyone here's a hero it's definitely ol' Brad Blackbrand."

She let out a short huff of a sigh and reached back for the hammer, grasping the cold handle and bringing it in front of her with what looked like little effort. The men promptly fell silent and the leader, Brad Blackbrand apparently, frowned and furrowed his thick eyebrows. He spit on the ground between them and gripped his own weapon firmer.

"If the lady wants to get hurt I guess that's fine."

She hated this, she really did. It wasn't the first time a ruffian had tried to accost her and it probably wouldn't be the last. A sweep of the hammer didn't fell him but it did knock him off balance for more than a moment. The massive man moved faster than Poppy thought he would and swung his hatchet at her, barely missing as it swung over her head. Before she knew what was happening the rest of the gang had begun to collapse on her with knives and fists. She frowned and huffed as she brought the hammer down on someone's foot, eliciting a scream as his bones crunched and shattered. One down and out. The rest fumbled above her and one landed a good kick square on her back. If not for the weight of the hammer she would have been sent flying. She swung again in retaliation and was met with another scream.

She stopped and quickly looked around. She hadn't hit her target, he'd slammed into someone else and managed to get out of the way just fast enough but blood was still spraying at her feet and the thud of a body hitting the ground was audible through the commotion. She gasped and dodged a detached head as it bounced to the ground from above and a large weapon swung above the group.

Through the confusion someone swung out at her and she reacted quickly, swatting away their weapon with her own and smashing their arm in the process. Disabled and injured she went for their legs with a lighter blow, knocking them to the ground. A moment later a huge, ornate steel axe was driven into the man's chest and blood gushed out.

Poppy looked around at the carnage, her enemies felled and entirely dead. She'd at least tried to let them live but it seemed her mystery assistant had other plans. She held onto the hammer, grip tight, in case he wanted a fight too. She looked over the large man in heavy armor marked red with his country's color.

He'd already put his weapon away and was wiping blood off his face with the back of his hand. His gaze drifted lazily over the carnage and came to rest on the small yordle.

"Good work," he commended gruffly, "The less scum left alive the better."

She relaxed and put the hammer away, crossing her arms and leaning against the dirty stone wall next to her, "You too, guy. That was some good fighting, are you a guard here or something?"

"You must not be from around here. Darius," he said and held out a large hand.

"Poppy, nice to meet you," she grinned, shaking his hand.

He turned to leave, glancing back over his shoulder, "You be careful around here. Those guys definitely weren't the last of their sort unfortunately."

He took a few steps down the alleyway and she called after him, "Oh! Hold on a sec!"

She swiftly scurried up a pile of nearby crates as Darius turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. She leaned forward, careful not to go tumbling off her perch, and planted a quick kiss on the cheek that wasn't streaked in drying blood.

"Thanks," she said quickly, "Really. You were a hero back there."

She hopped down and all but ran off down the other end of the alley partially to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks and partially because she wanted to get away from the mess she caused.

Behind her Darius watched as she ran off, lazily running a hand over his cheek, "A hero, huh?"


End file.
